WWE Battleground 2014 match card preview: Intercontinental championship battle royal

Battle Royal for the vacant Intercontinental Championship

I've got some bad news for you! Bad News Barrett was injured by Jack Swagger and forced to vacate the Intercontinental Championship. But here's the good news - the new champion will be crowned in a wildly unpredictable 20+ man Battle Royal. Which superstar will survive this chaotic environment and bring home the (sort of) coveted gold?

WWE currently lists 20 superstars in the Battle Royal, though they leave things open for more than 20 possible entrants. Here is a completely subjective and non-scientific ranking of each superstar's chance to win:

Cesaro - 20% chance to win
He is ice cold right now after losing matches to Kofi Kingston and Big E on Raw. And he may have also parted ways his all-time great manager. But this is still the same guy who was wrestling in the main event of last month's PPV, and Cesaro is arguably the biggest star in the match.

Sheamus - 16%
Sheamus is the top babyface in the match so his chance of winning is pretty strong compared to just about everyone else. He already won his US Championship in a previous Battle Royal this year, so why not set a record and add another Battle Royal title victory to his ledger, fella?

Bo Dallas - 15%
Hey there little buddy, Bo Dallas is undefeated so far in WWE and is one of the hottest and most inspirational acts around. But he did lose a Battle Royal last month on Raw, so hopefully this time he won't be Mr. Butterfingers and accidentally slide over the top rope again. Now if Bo does prevail and win the title, will his prestigious undefeated streak be able to withstand the dreaded curse of the Intercontinental Championship?

Dolph Ziggler - 11%
Dolph Ziggler has regained some momentum in recent weeks with his involvement in Fandango's love triangle story. And the IC title seems perfect for a star like Dolph Ziggler, who was built for putting on athletic showcases each night that leave everyone breathless. He's also pretty good at wrestling.

The Miz - 9%
The Miz is back and his face is the most precious commodity in Hollywood. That will likely lead to his downfall in this Battle Royal, as he will probably trade off an elimination for the sake of saving his moneymaker. But if Miz does win the gold, he could immediately enter a title versus title feud with Sheamus.

Other - 8%
Some notable names are missing from the official list of entrants, such as Mark Henry, Big Show, Goldust, El Torito, Stardust, CM Punk, and Adam Rose's bunny. Big Show is an especially intriguing name, as he probably has revenge on his mind after what Cesaro did to him at the WrestleMania 30.

Alberto Del Rio - 7%
Alberto Del Rio has defeated several of the men in this Battle Royal in recent weeks, though he failed multiple times to take down Sheamus. Like Cesaro, Del Rio also fought in the main event of last month's PPV. But unlike Cesaro, nobody really felt like Del Rio belonged in that match. WWE stopped pushing Del Rio after he dropped the WHC to John Cena last fall, and now Del Rio seems like an afterthought in this match.

Big E - 5%
Do I even need to explain?

Rob Van Dam - 4.20%
RVD has returned to WWE to become a jobber to the midcard stars. Considering that this Battle Royal is full of midcard stars, RVD's chances don't look so great. Whatever, dude.

Ryback - 4%
Ryback did main event some PPVs in 2012 and 2013, so there's some leftover star power somewhere in his tank. And he does have an entertaining goofball bully persona, so there is always a chance that Vince McMahon decides to give him a singles push one more time.

Kofi Kingston - 0.75%
Kingston's primary role in these matches is to sear into your brain a truly memorable and jaw-dropping elimination escape routine. And then he'll get eliminated a few minutes later. He has defeated Cesaro multiple times in recent weeks, but ultimately his chance to win has not improved.

Axel, Fandango, Sin Cara, Ryder, Diego, R-Truth, Woods, Slater, O'Neil, Khali - 0.05%
These men collectively have almost no chance to win. They certainly won't be booked to win. The only way someone here will win is if disaster strikes or maybe the other 10 guys listed above all accidentally eliminate themselves against the script. Or perhaps Khali's knees fall off and everyone else jumps out of the ring in horror. The real question is, how many of these men will last more than 5 minutes? Fandango and Axel have the best chance to be the Iron Man among these jobbers.

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The Intercontinental Championship is on the line as 20+ men try to throw each other over the top rope and achieve the ultimate climax in midcard glory. Bad News Barrett will be on hand to deliver the championship to the winner. Does Bad News Barrett have a swerve in mind for the victor?

Tune in to Battleground and stay here at Cageside Seats to find out who walks out with the gold!